Davie’s Law Fails to Pass Committee

Update Mar. 5, 2009: The North Carolina House Agriculture Committee heard testimony yesterday about Davie’s Law which would end the use of gas chambers on shelter animals and ban heartstickÂ and mandate safe lethal injection for euthanasia of dogs and cats.

Veterinarians Drs. Kim Sheets and Lynne Swanson and veterinary technician Susan Boyer testified in support of the bill. They each spoke from experience about theÂ suffering and danger caused by use of the gas chambers and the much safer, humane method of euthanasia, lethal injection.

The committee was provided a 2009 cost study showing in North Carolina euthanasia by lethal injection is less expensive than using gas chambers. That study is attached.

Update Feb. 18, 2009: Davie’s Law has now been introduced in the North Carolina Senate by state Sen. David W. Hoyle as S.B. 199.

For more on this important bill, read Animal Law Coalition’s report below.

Update Jan. 28, 2009: H.B. 6, known as Davie’s Law, has been filed in the North Carolina House.

Davie’s Law is named for Davie, a puppy pictured here, who survived a North Carolina gas chamber. He was found in the trash after he was gassed at a shelter.

Animal Law Coalition has been working towards the introduction of this bill with North Carolina Coalition for Humane Euthanasia (NCCHE) and American Humane Association (AHA).

The bill would mandate euthanasia by lethal injection of sodium pentobarbital or an equivalent, or oral ingestion of the drug, for all shelter animals. The law would ban injection, however, thru the heart, a cruel and painful procedure known as heartstick. Davie’s Law would require the removal of all gas chambers from North Carolina shelters.

Sixty-four animal shelters in North Carolina currently euthanize primarily by injection, and fifty-nine of those report using this method exclusively. Employees in those shelters have been trained to safely deal with wildlife and aggressive animals. In the 32 county and city shelters that still use gas chambers, some use commercially manufactured units, while others are crudely built units constructed of cinderblock, metal, and wood.

A recent study from the American Humane Association by national Animal Care and Control Consultant, Doug Fakkema, shows that euthanasia by injection is less expensive than theÂ gassing in every scenario. This study is attached to this article as a download and was based on recent figures obtained from North Carolina animal shelters.

During the election North Carolina Governor-elect Bev Perdue, condemned the state’s use of gas chambers to kill animals in shelters.

She also endorsed "work[ing] towards a community where all pets are wanted pets."

"But until that is possible," said Perdue, "the thousands of stray and unwanted animals that must be euthanized each year in North Carolina deserve a peaceful death, and shelter workers deserve access to a means to end animals’ lives safely, compassionately, and with dignity.

"[I]…oppose… the use of gas chambers to euthanize animals in shelters. This method is inhumane, especially in light of the fact that injection by sodium pentobarbital is a more humane, suitable substitute to euthanize animals."

Last year PerdueÂ wrote a letter to the state Department of Agriculture, urging the adoption of rules requiring use of lethal injection as the only method of euthanasia in animal shelters.

Under the proposed legislation lethal injection using sodium pentobarbital or a derivative, a procedure known as EBI, would be the only allowed method of euthanasia for animals in North Carolina’s public shelters. The bill would limit the type of injections to intravenous or intraperitoneal. The bill would ban CO gas chambers still used in public shelters in North Carolina and require them to be dismantled.

By mandating EBI, the bill will also ban other outmoded and inhumane methods of destroying shelter animals that are still used in North Carolina.

There is nothing humane about the use of the CO gas chamber in North Carolina.

Animals don’t lose consciousness or die until there is a build up of the CO gas in their lungs. This takes longer particularly for young, old, sick or injured animals when they are put into a chamber with little or no ventilation. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports confirm this. Shelter workers have documented that until that build up happens, they hear the piercing cries, howling, frantic calls, scratching and panic of animals. It is not uncommon for shelter workers to have to gas some animals a second time.

A 2004 North Carolina Department of Labor Inspection Report for Sampson County Animal Control describes, "The animal begins to struggle because it cannot breathe…They wait approximately 10 minutes until the animal stops making sounds…"

Animals are often crammed into the gas chambers together, sometimes on top of already dead animals. At one shelter animals are loaded into the gas chamber the night before so the worker need only turn on the chamber in the morning. Family pets killed in this way experience sheer terror and torment in the last hours of their lives.

The 2007 AVMA report does not approve of use of gas chambers for animals under 16 weeks of age and states, "[r]eptiles, amphibians, and diving birds and mammals have a great capacity for holding their breath and anaerobic metabolism. Therefore, induction of anesthesia and time to loss of consciousness when using inhalants may be greatly prolonged. Other techniques may be more appropriate for these species."

Buried in its own report is an admission by the AVMA it takes a long time for mammals which by definition means dogs and cats, to die in the gas chamber! Also, if shelters must have available lethal injections for animals under 16 weeks of age, why not use it for all animals?

EBI is the preferred method of euthanasia by the American Veterinary Medical Association and National Animal Control Association. For the animal, if administered properly, it is usually no different than a shot given by a veterinarian. If the animal is or becomes aggressive, it can be sedated prior to the injection.

This bill will also protect shelter workers: Carbon monoxide gas is odorless and colorless, and shelter workers may not even know they are breathing it. It is a deadly gas, and even inhaling low levels can cause dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, nausea, speech impairment, confusion, loss of consciousness and even death. Long term effects even from low level chronic exposure can include blood disorders, cardiovascular disease, neurologic, memory and other cognitive impairment; convulsions, and damage to lungs. CO gas is also explosive at levels above 10%.

Shelter workers are at risk from CO poisoning when they load and unload or clean the gas chamber, breathing in low levels of the gas on a regular basis. A 2007 AVMA report warns, "[Carbon monoxide gas is]…. hazardous to personnel because of the risk of explosions … or health effects resulting from chronic exposure…. Leaky or faulty equipment may lead to slow, distressful death and be hazardous to other animals and to personnel." The report warns that electrical equipment such as lights, fans, etc. in the vicinity of the gas chamber, is vulnerable to explosions. Shelters rarely use CO monitors or make nearby electrical equipment explosion proof.

According to a 1993 AVMA Report, as the concentration of CO [in the body] increases, humans may experience decreased visual acuity, tinnitus, nausea, progressive depression, confusion, and collapse along with convulsions and muscular spasms. Long-term effects may include cancer and cardiovascular diseases." Countless other authorities including the American Medical Association confirm the hazards of CO gas to humans even from limited exposure. In Tennessee a shelter worker died from CO poisoning from the gas chamber. (As a result Tennessee has banned the use of gas chambers.)

Studies of the danger of CO gas are attached below and can be downloaded.

North Carolina shelter workers have been exposed to dangerous levels of CO gas: In one report gas monitor readings showed employee overexposure to carbon monoxide, which the officer believed "is occurring when the chamber door is opened to remove the animal." North Carolina Department of Labor inspection for Sampson County Animal Control in 2004.

Another report stated, "[T]he chamber is leaking and … there were visible cracks as well as an insufficient gasket around door. There is also no mechanism to facilitate venting of this unit. …It appears that this CO chamber even with corrections employed at this time will pose a significant risk to the safety and life of the operator."

"Harris checked the chamber finding that the door seals to the chamber were in disrepair and damaged in several locations. Harris also observed where attempts to repair the seals were made with what appeared to be caulking. Also noted that the integral safety systems for monitoring carbon monoxide levels has been DISABLED. Vent pipe from the top portion of the chamber is poorly fitted and sealed with what appears to be adhesive tape. During operation of the euthanasia chamber carbon monoxide monitors were used to test levels present adjacent to the chamber….carbon monoxide levels exceeded 984 ppm in the area of the chamber….After the purge cycle during removal of animals a reading of 460 ppm still remaining in the chamber as officers removed dead animals." Reidsville Fire Marshal John Harris’ inspection report of a gas chamber at Rockingham County Animal Control in 2004, on the property of Reidsville Veterinary Hospital, after repeated attempts to repair gas leaks.

High levels of carbon monoxide have been detected around the doors of gas chambers as documented in inspection reports for Granville County in 2006 and Randolph and Stokes Counties in 2007 As to the Randolph County inspection, the inspector said, "While the chambers were in operation the monitor was placed in various locations around the door seals. Levels of CO were detected in excess of 500 ppm around the door seal….It was determined that the seals did not prevent carbon monoxide (CO) from escaping while the chambers were in operation.

Inspection reports have documented dangerous levels of CO gas around gas cylinders used for the chambers. 2006 inspection reports for Columbus and Davidson counties. Neither county checks for leaks.

In July, 2008, in fact, in Iredell County, North Carolina, the gas chamber exploded with 10 dogs crammed inside. An employee was present at the time, and other workers were in the next room. The fan and other equipment near the chamber were not explosion proof.

Imagine the risk to workers at these shelters and the countless others where leaking CO gas, which has no odor or color, went unnoticed.

It is also clear that use of the gas chamber causes incalculable psychological suffering for many shelter workers.

Many states including Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Washington, Wyoming, and New Jersey, among others, now ban the gas chamber. It’s time for North Carolina to do the same.

Other methods besides EBI that are still used in North Carolina to destroy shelter animals are no better: electrocution, heartstick, shooting, drowning and beating. Intracardiac injection or heartstick, for example, typically involves sticking a needle into a conscious animal’s heart. The animal is often stabbed repeatedly in this way.

As another example, shooting is a terrifying ordeal for animals. Also, animal control and law enforcement are often not trained to shoot so that consciousness is lost instantly, and many times the animal is shot repeatedly. Needless, to say, use of firearms where people are present is never a good idea.

Certainly proper use of lethal injection requires training. But even if used properly, gas chambers present a danger to workers; and, use of the gas chambers as well as these other outmoded methods are demoralizing for workers and cruel and inhumane for animals.

The goal is to euthanize as few animals as possible, not argue over the best method for destroying them. But in the meantime, there is no reason to use dangerous, inhumane methods to destroy shelter animals.

Comments from North Carolinians in Support of Bans on Cruel Methods of Euthanasia

1) Mayor Bobby Cagle, Jr of the Town of Robbinsville, NC wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"The use of gas is not as simple as just falling asleep. This procedure places the animals in a lengthy situation of pain and fright before death.. . .the use of the gas chamber is cruel and should not be considered an acceptable method of euthanasia."

2) Madison County, NC municipal animal control director Robert Davidson wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"I find gas chambers to be extra cruel and unusual for the use of euthanasia purposes. I feel that it is much more humane and easier on the animals if we inject rather than the above use."

3) New Hill, NC Veterinarian Laureen Bartfield, a member of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"The Association of Shelter veterinarians believes that euthanasia should be performed with an intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital or an equivalent euthanasia solution. Intracardiac injections may only be performed on anesthetized or unconscious animals."

4) The American Humane Association wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Continuing to use carbon monoxide to euthanize companion animals – is not a humane way to end the lives of companion animals. The boxes are sometimes overloaded with animals loaded with incompatible species or animals that are too young, too old or too sick to be euthanized using carbon monoxide. Most workers would prefer to to be able to hold and comfort the animal during euthanasia, which is possible with EBI [injection]. This may help shelter workers feel that their euthanasia method is more humane for the animals in their care, and it may take less of an emotional toll on them. If done according to AVMA standards the costs to use a carbon monoxide chamber are comparable to the costs for using EBI. Using data form an animal sheltering organization, the number of dogs and cats euthanized in 2002 was 7473. The cost to use carbon monoxide poisoning – $13,230. The cost of EBI – $12,700."

5) Virginia Schmidt of Leicester, NC, a volunteer rescuer at Buncombe County animal pound, wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Animals were put in the chamber, cats, kittens, dogs and puppies. [violation of NC law]. Some fell on the others so when the chamber was opened some were dead and some barely alive laying under other animals. The employees ended up with health problems, especially heart problems. Another Buncombe County chamber used for small animals was outdoors in the hot sun and had no gauge [violation of NC law] and no window [violation of NC law]. Wet dead kittens were taken out of it.Â I also toured the county pound in Henderson County. The employees left the room [violation of NC law] but I stayed and watched the fear on the animals’ face and them franticallt trying to get out by tearing at the plastic walls. When the gas started to come in the noise scared them more. The animals also made "messes" all over the place. The shelter was supposed to use a slide in set of stainless cages but didn’t because it was too hard to clean afterwards [violation of NC law]."

6) Hendersonville, NC resident and former shelter worker Angie Buie wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Back in 1999 Henderson County employees screamed at the idea of putting their safety in jeopardy by handling possibly feral animals in order to inject them. The threats to quit if they were forced to "hold" subsided once they received training on IV injection."

7) Mocksville, NC resident Denise Spors wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"If you’d seen the countless number of brain damaged or nerve damages dogs and cats that I’ve seen pulled out of garbage bags at the dump that were â€˜euthanized’ by gas but survived . . . .you would agree with those of us who want euthanasia by carbon monoxide a thing of the past.

8) The Animal Protection Society of Caswell County wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Injection of pentobarbital is the most humane form of euthanasia, and is the method used at our shelter. Unlike carbon monoxide, pentobarbital is painless for animals and poses no health risks to those who administer it. Do you know what this process looks and sounds like? Not so very different from dog fighting. . . .just as inhumane."

9) Alvin Stein, who initiated the California legislation banning gassing I that state wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Our state (California) had to settle several problems with claimants including deformed babies born and lung problems before we outlawed the chambers. The gases are insidious and our experience showed that it was virtually impossible to keep them running to perfection- which is necessary for the humaneness to the people and animals."

10) Raleigh, North Carolina attorney and Wayne County Animal Control Advisory Board member Jean Hollowell wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"I have had the opportunity to observe euthanasia by lethal injection and gas chambers. While I realize that lethal injection incorrectly administered can be very painful, carbon monoxide is always painful even when administered with commercially produced equipment. I strongly believe that North Carolina needs to establish euthanasia by lethal injection as the ONLY method. "

11) Chapel Hill, North Carolina attorney Bree Lorant wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"All gas chambers using any poisonous inhalant gas to kill animals should be put out of use immediately, not in the year 2012. Animal control employees using these machines are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and thousands of animals are suffering an inhumane death. They do not merely breathe in the gas and die, but rather go into convulsions and bleed and are screaming. A loophole allowing extreme kill methods in practically any circumstance is not acceptable. "

12) University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine professor Dr. Michael Moyer states:

"Sheltering is deliberately, inexorably and philosophically moving away from mass killing asan acceptable method of dog/cat population control. That there are technical features of one system that distinguish it from other such systems is irrelevant. None of these are capable of overcoming the humane and philosophical objection to mechanized death at the core of those who have moved away from this technology."

14) Susan Gardiner, a volunteer at the Guilford County animal pound, wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"The director once told me a litter of puppies had to be destroyed and the machine was used [violation of NC law]. When she opened the top, one of the puppies that had been â€˜destroyed’ was sitting upright, alive. She had to give it an injection to spare it any more suffering."

15) Maysville, NC Veterinarian Lynne Swanson wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Staff members of two different municipal shelters have approached me just this year, concerned about panicky sounds from animals in their gas chambers. When they voiced their concerns to the chambers’ manufacturer, he told them not to worry, the animals are already unconscious. The staff members don’t believe him. How can anyone know that death has occurred in five minutes if the gas chamber can’t be opened for 20 minutes? Animals could appear dead but yet be deeply unconscious. In reality, gas chambers are so inherently fraught with problems. . . that it’s a stretch to see them as a viable option in our state. Just two years ago, the staff of a local shelter was using a 4 ft. pole with a syringe and dull needle duct-taped to the end to try to inject pentobarbital into the heart of terrified cats unrestrained in large wire cages, all with the knowledge of a corrupt veterinarian, and shelter employees were threatened when they complained. It took a court case to try to correct that wrong."

16) Ashley Oliphant, PhD of Cornelius, NC wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Absolutely no circumstance would justify the use of a gas chamber, and some counties will manipulate this loophole to avoid changing their procedures."

17) Janice Jordan from the Raleigh based North Carolina Museum of History wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"Lethal injection is the most humane manner of euthanizing unwanted animals and should be instituted in all shelters without exception. I am also opposed to the rather absurd proposal to allow un-air conditioned animal control vehicles."

18) Member of the Forsyth County, NC Animal Control Advisory Board and manager of the Forsyth County Humane Society Lori Sears wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"I have personally witnessed the horrifying deaths ofÂ [sic] via carbon monoxide and peaceful deaths via lethal injection. The employees of shelters whose jobs are already stressful enough would also benefit from lethal injection as the only means of euthanasia."

19) Green Mountain, NC resident and former shelter worker Susan Garriques wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"The terrors of the gas chambers were known and not allowed. We used sodium pentabarbital."

20) Franklinton, NC resident Viv Graves wrote to the NC Commissioner of Agriculture:

"I personally rescued an adult dog from Vance County that survived the gas chamber at the animal control officer’s request. That officer couldn’t bear the thought of having to put the dog back in the gas chamber.

22 Responses to Davie’s Law Fails to Pass Committee

This is beyond cruel, Gassing is not only torture but immoral. The people should be put into a gas chamber and made to experience this cruel mathod of murder first hand….Hope you can hold your breath….STOP MURDERING ANIMALS!…It is no fault of their own they are placed into these horror , the cruelty done to them by people in general then to be murdered by such horrific means by those who should be helping them..NO EXCUSE.NONE EVER…not money, not anything….

If you all have such as issue with Euthanasia Chambers, why do you all not go to your local shelters and Inject all the animals yourselves or adopt all of the unwanted animals. Then your issue would be resovled. Wow that would be too simple, wouldn’t it. I am very curious as to know where you all get your information. I certainly believe that most of it is made up through your contorted minds. I’ll be waiting your comments. Common Sense

As a dog rescuer in NC for almost 9 years, I look forward to the day when we are more worried about how many animals we kill as opposed to how we do the killing.

Gas chambers are horrible and the fact that in this state we have absolutely no enforcement of the laws that regulate the safety and efficacy of said chambers and no enforcement of the laws that oversee the technicians that run said machines, it is understandable that many would want them banned. Its an easy cause to spearhead and it makes people feel all warm and fuzzy inside and all righteous because they think they are doing such a good thing for animals, animals that are still going to die. Because this does not in any way affect the NUMBER of animals killed. Lethal injection is not stress free for animals by a long shot. And changing the method does not change the number of dead animals every year. Maybe it makes PEOPLE feel better but it does very little for the animals that are going to die.

Humane euthanasia is a very important issue but not, in my opinion, as important as spay/neuter and differential licensing. Spay/neuter programs like the one in New Hampshire will do more for preventing cruelty than changing the method of euthanasia. Maybe if the laws and standards regarding gas chambers were actually enforced, we would not have to spend time changing it, and we could focus on the more urgent issue of the huge number of unwanted pets in NC that come from the irresponsible and indiscriminate breeding that goes on due to the lack of low cost spay/neuter for those who need financial assistance, mandatory spay/neuter for everyone to adhere to or differential licensing of pets that would give an incentive to all to spay/neuter their pets. This type of program could go along way to paying for itself, unlike simply switching the method of euthanasia to make US feel better without significantly changing the fate of the animals we purport to care about.

Its time to stop giving lip-service to prevention as a solution, as this article does, and give it top priority as the real solution to cruelty to animals.

I completely agree. We need to do more in the way of prevention and provide free or low cost spay and neuter clinics. We are trying to do so in Union County, NC. We need more resources, more shelter space, more people to adopt, less people dropping their dogs off because they don’t want them any more. We need to educate people on how to care for the animals and make them responsible pet owners.

So what’s your solution? Why are you even on this website if you dont care a whit about animals and how they are cared for? Its your tax dollars at work – stand up and decide how you want them spent instead of criticizing everyone else.

The solution lies on BREEDERS and owners but in the end there will always be animals placed in the shelters. TO subject them to this = there last few moments in terror is SO SICK and wrong that your statement even adds to it. ARE you a BREEDER by chance?
MAYBE you need to dump some of your pups that are not desirable?.
THERE is nothing HUMANE about the process of subjecting a living creature to a locked chamber filled with gas – AND lets not forget the puppies placed on top of DEAD BODIES before they are put to an inhumane death?
There is a higher judgement.
THIS IS WRONG….

Hound Lover,
I will like to make a point. Gas and lethal injection are two different kinds of killings. Gas is very caustic and long. While lethal injection uses barbiturates, anti epileptics and some respiratory relaxers. They stop the lungs and heart and brain waves. Death takes less than 30 seconds, and they are quiet. On the other hand, gassing is very inhumane. You should see tapes on ways, they gas humans. The same thing happens to an animal. It would be better to shoot the animal in the head than to gas them.

I sure hope you are still hovering around this website, which is working hard to help animals in our country unlike yourself who would rather point fingers. I have 5 animals in my home today, right now, five, all rescues, all needed a home, and for every one of them 1,000’s will be killed because there are too many animals and not enough caring and loving homes for them. I work with shelters in the south as well and it breaks their hearts every day they have to put down healthy adoptable animals. It breaks their hearts because they have one. Unlike yourself. Why are you here?

All this talk about the best way to murder innocent and defenseless animals reminds me of of Auschwitz–My mother survived a work camp in the 2nd world war just outside of Auschwitz so this subject is particularly distressing–to me it is only a separation by degree of the same mindset as the Nazis–it is a type of profiling to say that people only are sacred and animal lives have no value–This is not true–Life is sacred and a miricle no matter where it is found and to treat these animals as so much garbage is a crime of the heart and against the 10 commandments “Thou shalt not kill”–It doesnt say Thou shalt not kill people–the commandment is Thou shalt not kill–period!!!I am a vegetarian and also am horrified at factory farming and its horrors—Poor shelter animals need our compassion,dollars and resources to find them homes–I am positive that not all that could be done is not being done!!!We are not using our initiative to market and promote adoptable animals in the media–the spca and humane society do not properly network with other animal rescue groups–The by-laws should be changed to more than 3 dogs or cats so that people want to care for more animals are able to do so–If the animals are well taken care of and arent a nuisance than badly needed homes from animal lovers should not be considered a crime–Imagine compassion and caring are the crime and yet you are weighing the pros and cons of murdering the animals and that is OK–Does anyone reading this see the insanity!!??If the insanity wasnt so tragic it would be a joke!!We are living in a dark,dark age where man is not seeing the connectedness of all life!!!Man is broken and fractured–Animals have souls just as we do–It is a crime against God and of the heart to consider murdering these poor, poor creatures!!!!!!

well you are by far an idiot, uneducated and uninformed and plain and simple not an advocate for saivng animals….funny how our society will have candle protests when they want to execute a child killer. But whenit comes to a helpless defenseless loving animal HUMANITY SUCH AS YOURSELF FINDS AN EXCUSE TO NOT BE ACTIVE OR INVOLVED…I GUESS FOR PUNKS LIKEYOU ITS EASIER….SHAME ON YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE

Maybe one day the law will change and animals will go to sanctuaries, instead of shelters.
If it wasn’t for the shelters, all these animals would be put to death. They fight to save them, they fight to find them a forever home, if they can’t find a home, they fight to keep them from being gased until they can.
If the animal must die, they are asking that they find a more humane way to do it. Gasing animals is barbaric, cruel ,and they suffer….None of these people want these animals killed…..
We need to stand together, change these caveman laws, not fight with each other. The animals need us.

Absolutely agree with it.. Spay/neuter is the key to control…Always look after the feral cats where i work. They live horrible miserable lives………….inbreed…..and every one that I have managed to take home and give a home has died prematurely—I often think if it could been done they should all be rounded up and put to sleep–thats the only solution and then spay/neuter …… Thank you for seeing the real problem JAX

all gas chambers needs to be stopped. I don’t like any animal being put down but if your going to do it do it the human way and without pain and suffering on any animal of anykind. do you know how many dogs and cats actullay don’t die in that champber? they are out of it and hauled off and trown away or thrown in chambers to burn them (thinking they are dead) only to hear the pain and cries when it starts out. do you know how many they find in dumps in bags crying and whimpering? this is just so wrong…
I don’t know what is wron with folks these days. the suffering needs to be stoped in all states, and all slaughter houses. how would you like to suffer? I don’t think you would…….

This needs to be STOPPED. The Animals did not ask to be born in the first place. This happens from all the people in this world that either don”t care about their pets or what happens to them or what pain they suffer. The shelters that are gassing these pets need to Stop, there is a more humane way to do this and that is the change that should be made. It should be against the law and criminal charges brought to shelters that gass innocent animals.

PLEASE HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED OR NUETURD. GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LOVE AND BE LOVED. PLEASE THINK ABOUT YOUR PETS FEELINGS, THEY DO HAVE FEELINGS JUST AS WE HUMANS DO. IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A PET, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THEM. AND LOVE THEM. THEY WILL LOVE YOU BACK.

For the love of our pets, please pass Davie’s law and stop this ludicrous killing of animals. There are so many other options for our pets than this mindless and cruel tortuous way of treating the one’s we are supposed to protect.
~Venita

The key problem is overpopulation. And we have overpopulation because there is no control. No laws to spade dogs and cats. No enforcement. If there were stricter laws regarding breeders and how much they can breed and who can breed and have some monitor on this entire situation, perhaps we wouldn’t be going through this. Euthanisia by needle is probably more money than the gas chamber which is why they continue to do this. It turns my stomache to think we live in a world that allows such cruelty. A dog and an cat is a domestic animal. These animals are social animals meant to be as companions to mankind.

Please, I urge you to please stop this action.

Puppy Mills in North Carolina are also contributing to this worldwide problem. Again, it is overbreeding that is the problem and people who do not neuter their pets.

STOP, STOP, STOP….and enforce legislature to implement laws against overpopulaton issues such as puppy mills and private breeding. That is what will fix the problem. Get to the source.

This is the most disgusting display of inhumane treatment of animals that I have ever seen. I understand that humans and babies take priority too but that is not what we are talking about here Liz. If you want to discuss that, please go elsewhere. We are talking about the welfare of animals in North Carolina. Please make sure to tell everyone you know about Davie’s Law because it is important to the welfare of our furry friends. I, for one Liz, do have a shelter dog and I give money to shelters across the United States. I have gotten off my butt and done something to make the situation better and now I want to do more. I ask and plead with the rest of you to do more too!! Please get your dog spayed or neutered and be responsible pet owners. Instead of buying a puppy, go to your local shelter to find a lifetime companion. You will find that you will find no better companion on earth.

Many people use the work “euthanize” when they mean to kill an animal. The definition of Euthanasia is “good death” , peaceful and free of pain, fear, and stress. I would not call death by gassing “euthanasia”.